Published: 09:50 AM, 21 May 2026
AI dominates debate at Cannes
Cannes Film Festival is becoming a major forum for debate over artificial intelligence, with filmmakers and industry leaders divided over whether the technology will help cinema evolve or threaten creative jobs.
At this year's festival, AI has emerged as one of the most discussed topics, reflecting growing concern over how the technology could reshape the global film industry.
Scott Mann, co-chief executive of AI company Flawless, said the industry appears to be reaching a turning point.
"It feels like a major shift," he said, adding that AI could provide the technological boost the film business needs.
AI is more visible than ever at Cannes this year. Meta has signed a multiyear partnership with the festival and set up a presence at the Majestic Hotel.
Meta's AI tools were also used in Steven Soderbergh's documentary John Lennon: The Last Interview.
The film explores a detailed interview that John Lennon and Yoko Ono gave on the day Lennon was killed in 1980. Soderbergh used AI to create surreal visuals to accompany the conversation.
While some critics objected to the use of AI, Soderbergh said experimentation is necessary to understand the limits of the technology.
Views at Cannes vary widely.
Actor Demi Moore, a member of the festival jury, said resisting AI is likely to be futile.
Filmmaker Peter Jackson compared AI to any other special effect, while director James Gray said AI may be useful but cannot replicate the depth of human emotion and creativity.
Gray urged young people to study literature and the humanities to better understand human nature.
The debate comes as Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently introduced new rules stating that only performances actually given by human actors, with their consent, will be eligible for acting awards.
